Find kittens? What to do and not do.

During high kitten season in the spring and summer, it’s not unusual to discover a nest of unattended kittens or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by the mother. You want to help, right?

Before jumping to the rescue,

WAIT…

Mama Cat may be off searching for food. She has to keep herself well fed to produce milk for the babies! It is not unusual for a mama cat to be gone several hours. She may also be in the process of moving the babies from one location to another (especially if you’ve found one alone).

Assess the kittens’ apparent health:

Does their fur look healthy, full and fluffy? OR Are they dirty? Sickly? Eyes crusty?

…AND WATCH

Unless the kittens are in immediate danger, it is best to watch to see if the mama cat will return. You should be at least 35 feet away (more is better).

Do NOT place food near the kittens to lure Mama Cat. (Mama Cat almost always purposely hides her litter away from food sources as she knows that food will attract other cats and even bigger predators!)

You may need to leave completely and come back later (4-6 hours) to check whether the kittens are still OK (dry, sleeping/quiet, appear fed, etc.) Especially if she’s feral, Mama Cat will most likely NOT return until she no longer senses human presence.

Know that healthy kittens can survive several hours without food as long as they are warm.

Neonatal kittens are much more at risk of hypothermia than they are of starvation.

During typical ‘kitten season’ spring and summer months, waiting a longer time to see if Mama Cat will come back is usually very safe.

TAKING KITTENS IN

Remove the kittens **only** if they are in immediate, grave danger OR if they appear very sickly and ill.

First of all, if the mother cat returns…

If Mama Cat returns and the area is relatively safe, leave the kittens alone with Mama Cat until they are weaned (5-6 weeks). You can monitor the environment and offer a shelter and regular food to Mama Cat … but keep the food and shelter at a distance from each other. Mom will find the food but will not accept your shelter if the food is nearby, because she will not want to attract other cats – or any other predators — to food located near her nest.

If at all possible, its best to leave kittens with the Mama Cat for at least four weeks. Five to six weeks is the optimal age to take the kittens from the mother for socialization and adoption placement, and any time after eight weeks for Trap-Neuter-Return (spay/neuter, vaccination, eartip, and return to their colony).

NOTE: Female cats can become pregnant with a new litter even while they are still nursing, so don’t forget to get the mother cat spayed or you will have more kittens soon! For information or advice about trapping Mama Cats – and about local feral cat help and TNR programs, contact Fix our Ferals and/or ICRA.

If the mother cat does not return…

The Mama Cat offers her kittens the absolute best chance for survival, so WAIT and WATCH as long as you can. The best food for kittens is their mother’s milk. She will provide them not only with properly balanced nutrition but also much-needed antibodies and immune system support!

Although there are resources to help you, it would be best if you are prepared to…see the kittens through at least until getting additional help (which could be days or weeks) if you decide to intervene!

Other resources:

If you decide to raise abandoned kittens, check with Pet Food Express. They may be able to provide free starter kits that contain a small amount of specially formulated kitten milk, a bottle, and other emergency, essential supplies for raising a tiny kitten.